Malaysia’s Armed Forces Health Services director-general Lt Gen Dr Abdul Razak Md Yusoff is captured in a discussion session with the three former medical doctors in the Malaysian armed forces.

The photo, published in the New Straits Times on Sept 16, was at event organised by the Armed Forces Medical Corps Veteran Officers Association.

We thank reader Harnarider Singh for bringing it to our attention.

At an event, the association president Lt Col (Rtd) Dr Jaswant Singh noted that about 1,000 military doctors have yet to be conferred the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) which is awarded in recognition of distinguished service by members of the Malaysian Armed Forces, according to the Armed Forces Medical Corps Veteran Officers Association.

Only 50 doctors had received the award and the remaining eligible doctors should contact the association for assistance to get the award, he said in a Bernama report (18 Sept).

The PJM, established in 2004, is an award given in recognition of distinguished service by members of the Malaysian Armed Forces during the second Emergency and Confrontation.

To be eligible, members of the armed forces must have served for at least six months in any formation or unit of the Malaysian Armed Forces between Jan 1, 1963, to Dec 31, 1965, in operations during the Confrontation; between Jan 1, 1969, and Dec 2, 1989, in operations against the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) or between Jan 1, 1969, and Oct 17, 1990, in operations against the North Kalimantan Communist Party (PKKU).

One recipient of the award was Capt (Rtd) Dr Amarjit Singh Gill, 65, who joined the army in 1976.

He told Bernama he had served 15 months at various camps near the Malaysian-Thai border where he was either escorted in armoured cars or winched down from helicopters.

He noted that one of the key camps was in Gubir, Kedah, where he was involved in operations like Ops Gonsales II to flush out communist terrorists. “I pity many who volunteered to serve the country at the height of the insurgency and ended up having amputated limbs or losing their lives,” he said.

Dr Jaswant Singh said a large number of military doctors were eligible to join the Armed Forces Medical Corps Veteran Officers Association.

He said they should contact the association secretary, Lt Col Dr Victor Feizal Abd Shatar, at 012-3995912 or email him at victorfeizal@gmail.com.

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